Lambert's operatic vocals made him a season-long frontrunner, but the performance that made him the one to beat (which he eventually was) is this measured, moving and smoke machine-heavy rendition of Gary Jules' cover of the Tears for Fears tune.

Kelly Clarkson was the first and greatest "Idol" winner, the one that cemented the show's legacy. The then-20-year-old Texas belter's Top 8 performance of Aretha's "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman" got the fans out of their seats and proved that the show truly could find a needle in a haysta...